Interesting note from Jim Callis chat today.

[tom smith]

I wouldnt do that....We are throwing away our hopeful core for 1 dude that Reimold may be out hitting in 3 years...Sorry, I know theres a huge mancrush going on here for AGon, but thats stupid to me. We have money saved up for a reason, and that reason is so that we do NOT have to destroy our core to get a big bat. Your opening up 3 more holes to fill 1, its pointless and IMO a step or 2 or even 3 backwards. Arrieta has a spot waiting for him, Snyder has a spot waiting for him and Reimold has a spot waiting for him....And yes theyd want another arm like Erbe.....Or Britton....NO!

What holes are you opening up? We need a power hitter that is young and that will grow with our young guys, AGon is the right guy to go after. I think I would switch Reimold for Pie. SD needs a CF. Also I think you would have to put another pitcher in the deal.

[TyCobb]

I understand the sentiment to assume the players from the so-called golden ages of the sport were better. With so much written about those eras they're kind of bathed in a rosy light and it's hard to be objective about them. When I first read The Hidden Game of Baseball I was incredulous over the idea that Willie Keeler and his peers weren't way better than the guys today.

But I've been forced to accept that the absolutely overwhelming conclusion of the objective evidence is that the game has gotten steadily harder over time, with brief pauses for wars and expansions.

Maybe the raw stats do*. But you have a lot of context to adjust for when analyzing DiMaggio. His park effects, his years lost to the war. You're acting like this is an open-and-shut case, but if you rate Ruth as a 100, Mantle as a 95, then DiMaggio is a 94.5. Snider is in the 70s or 80s, and Hack Wilson is, like, 48.

* Or maybe they don't. I mean, in 1937 he hit .346/.412/.673 with 46 homers, 151 runs, and 167 RBI in a pitcher's park as a plus-plus center fielder. Even Ruth isn't much better than that as an all-around player.

That year in 1937 he also had 15 triples. And this is from a guy that never stole more than 6 bases. Just adding 10 of those triples to hr gives him 56 hrs that year.

[DrungoHazewood]

That year in 1937 he also had 15 triples. And this is from a guy that never stole more than 6 bases. Just adding 10 of those triples to hr gives him 56 hrs that year.

Stolen bases <> speed, especially in the 1920-58 era. There were years where you could lead the league in steals with 28. It just didn't make sense to risk an out on the bases when you had Gehrig coming up and half the team hit .310 with .400 OBPs.

[TyCobb]

Stolen bases <> speed, especially in the 1920-58 era. There were years where you could lead the league in steals with 28. It just didn't make sense to risk an out on the bases when you had Gehrig coming up and half the team hit .310 with .400 OBPs.

haha yea I understand that, but Joe D wasn't ever consider super fast like the Cobbs of the world.

Your looking at a different single season HR king if Joe D played for the Red Sox that year.

[Satyr3206]

I understand the sentiment to assume the players from the so-called golden ages of the sport were better. With so much written about those eras they're kind of bathed in a rosy light and it's hard to be objective about them. When I first read The Hidden Game of Baseball I was incredulous over the idea that Willie Keeler and his peers weren't way better than the guys today.

But I've been forced to accept that the absolutely overwhelming conclusion of the objective evidence is that the game has gotten steadily harder over time, with brief pauses for wars and expansions.

Maybe the raw stats do*. But you have a lot of context to adjust for when analyzing DiMaggio. His park effects, his years lost to the war. You're acting like this is an open-and-shut case, but if you rate Ruth as a 100, Mantle as a 95, then DiMaggio is a 94.5. Snider is in the 70s or 80s, and Hack Wilson is, like, 48.

* Or maybe they don't. I mean, in 1937 he hit .346/.412/.673 with 46 homers, 151 runs, and 167 RBI in a pitcher's park as a plus-plus center fielder. Even Ruth isn't much better than that as an all-around player.

I don't think the players from years ago were better, I just don't automatically think the ones from today are either. I think the vast majority could play in any era.

[Migrant Redbird]

Joe DiMaggio reminds me of Isaac Asimov, the science fiction writer. They were almost as good as they thought they were.